Chapter 209: Conquering with Pears
Arriving in the capital.
This time, there was no advance notice to Sun Li.
Shi Wenxiu and Deng Chao came to pick him up.
Along the way, Deng Chao kept rambling: "I'm so thrilled Teacher Zhou can come. Being a first-time director is tough. I used to only see the director's prestige; I had no idea it was this exhausting."
"Oh, what's tiring you, Director Deng?" Zhou You said with a meaningful tone.
Deng Chao paused for a moment, his face scrunching into wrinkles as he gave an awkward laugh: "Heart-tired, heart-tired. My wife's on set too."
"Haha, that's good then. Otherwise, you'd be worn out in both mind and body, aging fast, Brother Chao," Zhou You said. He enjoyed chatting with Deng Chao, who was a bit of a wild card. It was manageable now, but later on, he'd completely let loose.
This movie was the same—too much self-indulgence without a director to rein him in. Deng Chao was flying free the whole time, having a blast like a runaway horse, unrestrained and whimsical.
In the end, despite the box office success, he won the Golden Broom Award.
No staying power.
Shi Wenxiu sat there silently, like a ghost. That kind of personality was nice, but unfortunately, in the entertainment industry, it wasn't put to good use.
That personality would suit learning to paint or doing research—perfect for quiet work.
People are the same. Without the right position or finding the right industry, most waste away their lives.
With Deng Chao around, there was basically no chance of an awkward silence.
The journey to the set was lively all the way.
"CEO Zhou, I'll host a welcome dinner tonight and introduce you to our core crew," Deng Chao said, knowing this was standard procedure. He also wanted to set up a platform for Yang Mi, but barging in directly might backfire.
"Alright, I'll follow your arrangements. But since I didn't bring gifts for this visit, I'll go buy some iced drinks and ice cream for everyone later. It's a small gesture—this weather is too hot," Zhou You said. Filming outdoors in this heat was torture.
But thinking about it, plenty of people had to work outside in this weather too—construction workers, landscapers, delivery drivers, ordinary folks braving the scorching sun and heavy rain, all just trying to make a living.
With that in mind, hearing some of the entertainment industry's outrageous talk made it feel like "let them eat cake."
Zhou You hung around the set for a bit and saw Yang Mi in a denim skirt and white T-shirt, hair down, showing off long legs. She was much thinner in person than on TV.
Zhou You had only skimmed this movie before; he couldn't remember the plot—no classics, just awkward laughs.
Back then, he only recalled the scene of a beauty emerging from a bath by the sea, but her features seemed a bit off, like they were surgically altered, and he lost interest.
Yang Mi spotted Zhou You too. Though it was their first time meeting in person, she'd seen his photos.
From a distance, she waved and smiled at Zhou You.
Heh, if it weren't for wanting to cut through the mess quickly, who'd want to come out in this heat to watch this? Not much fun.
It was all about novelty.
Zhou You smiled back in acknowledgment and then headed to the hotel to rest.
But just as he lay down, someone knocked on the door, pissing him off. Who was so clueless?
He opened the door and saw a woman standing outside.
Zhou You didn't recognize her, but she was eye-catching—a real standout in the summer heat.
"Hello, CEO Zhou. Sorry to bother you. I'm Liu Yan. I came to pay my respects on our first meeting," Liu Yan said, holding the door and smiling.
"Come in. Your name is thunderous, but today I finally meet the real person," Zhou You said. It was indeed thunderous—or rather, his eyes saw it every day.
In later entertainment novels, she was always the first supporting character, known for sincerity, always being upfront and conquering with pears.
"Really? CEO Zhou, you're joking. I'm not that famous," Liu Yan said, surprised. She was a nobody now; how would outsiders know her?
"Really. You'll be very famous in the future. Trust me!" Zhou You said with certainty. Out of so many in the entertainment industry, few were memorable, and Liu Yan was one of them.
"Then I'll take your good word for it. If I become famous, I won't forget your support!" Liu Yan stared at Zhou You as she spoke, then got up to pour him water, almost acting like the host.
Zhou You was a bit confused: "It's all your own effort. I didn't support you."
"CEO Zhou has been behind the scenes. I got this role entirely because of you. Without your investment, there'd be no crew, and no role for me," Liu Yan laid it out clearly.
Zhou You had to admit, if you insisted on saying that, he couldn't argue.
Liu Yan poured water and handed it to Zhou You.
Zhou You reached out to take it.
But Liu Yan's wrist twitched, spilling half the cup.
Most of the water soaked Zhou You's pants, with wet patches all over his inner thighs.
Liu Yan pretended to panic, quickly reaching out to squeeze the water out.
Zhou You sighed: "Spilled water can't be recovered. You're putting me in a tough spot!"
"Sorry, it's all my fault. I'll dry it right away."
In the end, Zhou You saw Liu Yan was too tired and let her lie down to rest. Otherwise, if word got out that someone in the entertainment industry died from drying clothes, how would Zhou You save face?
Seeing it was getting dark.
Zhou You looked at Liu Yan still lying in bed, slacking off: "Hey, beauty, get up. It's dark—time to eat!"
Liu Yan lay there, not moving, trying to sit up,
but couldn't help feeling sorrowful: "I just wanted to get famous, make some money. I didn't think I'd lose my life over it."
She sobbed quietly.
Zhou You spread his hands: My fault, huh?
He had to use his trump card: "Fine, if you won't get up, I'll come help you!"
Liu Yan was terrified, forcing her battered body to struggle up.
"No, don't come over. I can still move!"
That's better. A living person wouldn't be choked to death by pee, right?
Trying to scam me? No way.
I've been through the wars. I've seen it all.
Everyone complains about being tired and worn out, slacks off when there's more work, and wants a raise.
If you won't do it, someone else will.
I've given you a job opportunity, and you still dare to ask for a raise?
Is there no justice?
Ungrateful wretches who only learn from punishment.
Push me too far, and I'll just shut down. You can find work elsewhere.
Don't forget, I'm a limited liability company. I can be carefree somewhere else. Trying to fight me? Can you win?
Liu Yan struggled to get up and shower, unaware that Zhou You had just gone through a massive internal monologue.
But even if she knew, there was nothing she could do.
That's just how the world is.